World Famous Comics: Blue Seed Beyond - Invasion from Within
Blue Seed Beyond - Invasion from Within
Starring: Blue Seed Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: Unrated Binding: DVD Format: Animated, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: Adv Films Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: September 23, 2003 Running Time: 100 minutes
Amazon.com: In the original Blue Seed (1994), 15-year-old Momiji fulfilled her hereditary destiny by fighting the shape-shifting monsters, the Aragami--with some help from the rakish Kusanagi, who drew supernatural powers from seven implanted mitama (Aragami seeds). The action in this follow-up series shifts between Japan and San Francisco, as a mad scientist creates synthetic Aragami in a clandestine weapons program. The new monsters are bigger and nastier, and a potential rival for Kusanagi's affection turns up: scantily clad Valencia, who has also been implanted with mitama. In the third episode, the plot halts for some fan service while the Terrestrial Administration Center gang tackles a mad bomber at a hot spring. The new crew fails to recapture the appeal of the original series: Momiji is just another whiny "magical girl," and Kusanagi has lost his outlaw charm. (Rated 17 and older: violence, nudity, minor profanity, risqué humor, alcohol use) --Charles Solomon
Skip it!!! If you're a fan or even seen the original Blue Seed, just run quickly away from this second series. It was positively horrid! Forget the action, the majority of this Seed seems to focus on annoying would be love connection between Momiji and Kusinagi (keyword being annoying!).
What To Do With Your Extra Scripts The original Blue Seed was a series that had to grow on you a bit. It started out as a flakey, comic kill the monster series, complete with bad risqué jokes and flashes of panties with animal themes. Only gradually did you realize that the underlying story arc was deadly serious, and the series built to a grand finale.
These 'extra' episodes, which all take place after the original show, return to the tone of the beginnings of the series. They aren't quite light fluff, but between the perpetual fan service (gratuitous nudity) and Momiji's relationship problems with Kusanagi, the serious stuff tends to get lost.
The old gang is back together, first fighting an resurgence of arigami (the monsters) in the US, and then a bomb threat in a hot springs. The characters seem slightly older, but even if Momiji looks older, she still is light-headed, more so than she should be after the original series conclusion. Kusanagi is distracted by the appearance of another 'good' arigami, Valencia. Momiji's jealous fits take up most of the center stage.
The final episode is at the hot springs, where a terrorist with an agenda so hidden we never discover it has rigged the spring to explode if anyone gets out of the pool. Erveryone, in various stages of undress races about trying to capture the terrorist, defuse the bomb, or get in and out of their underclothes. Just to be equal opportunity about it, Kusanagi gets to show of his pectorals as well.
I admit it, I like silly anime. I like the serious ones as well, bu the Japanese have a knack for a kind of innocent raciness that lacks the boorishness the similar US efforts seem to display. The stories are typical of the series as a whole and are a pleasant way to fill a few hours. But nothing more than that.
A big let down Blue Seed 2 lacks the story and plot developments of the original. The only episode I liked was the third one, which had nothing to do with it! The english voice acting was lacking as well. Kusanagi just sounded so mono-toned all the time. I thought the old drawings were better. (I mean, look at what they did to Kusangai!)
A Big Disappointment! This movie was a huge disappointment. I own the original Blue Seed series, and I love it immensely! That story was well thought out with diverse and interesting characters, some cute humour and lots of action. It was funny, smart and very entertaining. This follow-up to the Blue Seed series takes place 2 years after the original in San Francisco instead of Japan (for the first two episodes anyway), and captures none of the wit, action or good story writing of the original Blue Seed Series.
In the first two episodes the TAC group is called to San Francisco to take care of some aragami that are terrorizing the city. The aragami were created by a mad scientist to.....well, I don't know why he created them to be honest. And of course, let's not forget there is a new babe in town who may or may not pose as a threat to Momijii and Kusanagi's relationship. Momijii, who was a spunky, cheerful, loveable clutz in the original, hardly does anything in this movie and is reduced to a winy, helpless girl. Kusanagi, who was ultra hot and super cool in the series, is just Momijii's boyfriend with no real purpose.
For those of you who have seen the original Blue Seed series, don't get your hopes up over this horrible sequel. I own the original series so I know what I'm saying. And for those who have not seen either the series or its sequel, just buy the series. It is well worth the money, and I promise you won't be disappointed.
Beware those who enjoyed the original! I brought this because I really enjoyed Blueseed. I fell in love with the characters and the storyline! You can imagine my utter boredom while watching this supposed "Blueseed Beyond". None of the characters are developed, the guy who made this was riding off of the characterization in the original Blueseed. The story was very unengaging and went very fast ... maybe it went so fast because there wasn't much storyline at all. This sequel lacks the emotion and genius the first one had. They changed the voices ... if you thought Momiji's voice was annoying in the first one, wait till you hear it in this second one! The actors who did the voices lacked the passion of the original actors. All in all the frist two episodes that dealt with the Aragami sucked, but the third one that had nothing to with the Aragami was fantastic ... that's said considering Blueseed's focus was destroying the Aragami. It could have been MUCH better!
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
